Here's how to get the best from your internet service

Want the best? Connect direct.

There are two ways to connect to the internet.By cable or by WiFi.

If you’re doing something online that is content-rich, such as downloading lots of large files or playing online games, you’ll get a much better experience by using an ethernet cable to plug in directly to your modem.

Location Matters

Think of WiFi like a beam of sunlight. If your device cannot see the router the wireless signal probably isn’t reaching you very well. With WiFi the data is in the air and can be blocked by walls, floors, furniture, appliances just to name a few. Always make sure that the modem is located in the area that you mostly use your WiFi in.

Click on the numbers below for further information.

Move away from windows, out of cupboards and off enclosed shelves.

Higher is better; on top of a cabinet, a shelf or give your modem it’s own wall bracket. Avoid the basement.

Some household devices interfere with the WiFi signal. Keep 1.5m between the modem and cordless telephones, baby monitors, microwaves and other WiFi routers.

More devices online means shared speed

Sharing WiFi speed is like splitting a pie, there are only so many slices to go around and some devices are hungrier than others. The more devices you have, the more the WiFi speed is divided between them.

So switch off any devices which aren’t being used and you’ll get more bandwidth to yourself, and better internet speeds. If you want to have more bandwidth for more devices, upgrade your package to a higher bandwidth such as 250 Mbps or 1 Gbps Gigapower.

Not all devices are designed for high speed internet, a basic laptop or low end phone may only reach 20 Mbps, higher spec devices will give you top speeds. Your internet experience over WiFi may be affected if lots of people are using lots of devices in your home at the same time, the slower devices will pull down the speed for everyone.

Choose your WiFi frequency

When you first connect your device to WiFi look for a WiFi network with the number ‘5’ at the end, choosing this network will often mean you get less interference and better WiFi performance.

2.4 GHz may work better if you are further from your modem, but 2.4 GHz is used by lots of devices, like your garage door opener or sensors in your home - and it’s probably the frequency your neighbours' WiFi is using, so in some homes 2.4 GHz can get very crowded – which can get in the way of you enjoying your time online.